PATA Annual Summit 2017 ends in Sri Lanka with success

The PATA Annual Summit 2017 (PAS 2017), under the theme ‘Disruption. Innovation. Transformation: The Future of Tourism’, opened in Negombo, Sri Lanka on 18 May with 406 delegates from 191 organisations representing 39 countries attending the four-day event.

The program for PAS 2017, generously hosted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau along with the Ministry of Tourism and Christian Religious Affairs of the Government of Sri Lanka, included the Association’s executive and advisory board meetings, annual general meeting (AGM), PATA Youth Symposium, PATA Insights Lounge (formerly the PATA Marketplace), the UNWTO/PATA Ministerial Debate and a one-day conference that addressed the issues, challenges and opportunities arising from the constantly evolving landscape of the travel and tourism industry. 

PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy told local and international media, “The PATA Annual Summit brings together international thought leaders, industry shapers and senior decision-makers who are professionally engaged with the Asia Pacific region. At PATA we understand that to overcome the challenges and issues facing our industry, the public and private sectors must work together.

“Providing a catalyst for closer cooperation is one of PATA’s key roles. Through such partnerships between private and public sector members we stand on much firmer ground when seeking to enhance the sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism to, from and within the region,” he added.

The summit began with 130 students, alumni, lecturers and industry professionals from Sri Lanka and overseas participating at the PATA Youth Symposium 2017 with the theme ‘No Barriers: Millennials and the Future of Tourism’. The symposium was hosted by the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM).

Opening remarks at the one-day conference on Friday, 19 May were given by Minister of Tourism, Lands and Christian Religious Affairs, Sri Lanka John Amaratunga, and by UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai. The conference keynote address on ‘Managing disruption through innovation’ was given by Skift CEO and founder Rafat Ali.

Delegates also heard from international thought leaders and industry shapers including Aleandre Kwan, Philanthropies Asia Programme Manager – Microsoft; Andrew Chan, founder and CEO of ACI HR Solutions; Andrew Craig, Head of Corporate Communication India, South Asia and Southeast Asia – Visa Worldwide; Faeez Fadhlillah, CEO and Co-founder – Tripfez; Greg Klassen, Partner at Twenty31 Consulting Inc.; Ha Lam, Co-founder and COO – Triip.me; Jesse Desjardins, Global Manager, Social and Content – Tourism Australia; Joe M. Naaman, Senior Executive Advisor – Global Advisory Council, Skylight Intelligence; Joe Nguyen, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific – comScore; Jeremy Jauncey, founder and CEO – Beautiful Destinations; Muna Haddad, Managing Director – Baraka; Oliver Martin, Partner at Twenty31 Consulting Inc.; Sarah Mathews, Head of Destination Marketing APAC – TripAdvisor; Thao Nguyen, Head of Strategic Partnerships, APAC – Airbnb; Vijay Poonoosamy, Vice President, International Affairs, Office of the President and CEO, Etihad Airways, and Wong Soon-Hwa, Regional Director APAC – Blacklane.

Other topics discussed during the conference were: ‘The Transformation of Marketing’, ‘Research Innovation’, ‘Disrupting the Travel Industry’, ‘The Real Future of Tourism: Young Tourism Professionals’, and ‘Embracing Disruption: A Blueprint for the Future of Tourism’.

PATA, in partnership with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), held a half-day PATA/UNWTO Ministerial Debate on Saturday, 20 May when representatives from the public and private sectors discussed the concepts of recognised sustainability leadership and the sharing economy as they pertain to the travel and tourism industry. The debate was moderated by BBC News Correspondent and Presenter Yogita Limaye. 

Panellists included Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, Director General – Tourism Malaysia; Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO – Nepal Tourism Board; Wander Meijer, Director Asia Pacific – GlobeScan; Hiran Cooray, Chairman – Jetwing Hotels; Jon Nathan Pangilinan Denight, President and CEO – Guam Visitors Bureau; Lawrence Leong, Former Assistant Chief Executive (International Group) – Singapore Tourism Board; Thao Nguyen, Head of Strategic Partnerships, APAC – Airbnb, and Erick Stephens, Chief Technology Officer – APAC, Microsoft. 

Before the session on ‘The Shift to Recognised Sustainability Leadership in the Travel and Tourism Industry’, Dr. Rifai provided an inspiring speech regarding the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017, while Mr Ali presented on the personalisation of the sharing economy before the session on ‘The Sharing Economy and Travel and Tourism’.In his speech, Dr. Rifai noted, “Asia and the Pacific, which leads the world in international tourism growth, can and should, be a leader in sustainability and innovation; a leader in utilising the transformative power of travel and tourism in building a new and better world; the world which is today without any doubt steered by the Pacific. That is why PATA, bringing together the two margins of the Pacific is today a truly global and not only a regional organisation.  

Delegates gained additional insights about the latest travel and tourism industry trends during the PATA Insights Lounge powered by Pecha Kucha (formerly the PATA Marketplace) with presentations from Richard Lewis, Partnerships Director Travel and Tourism – What3Words; Jauncey; Vinoop Goel, Regional Director – Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security Asia Pacific, IATA; John Schubert, Managing Director – Marketing Asia Pacific and India, Boeing Commercial Airplanes; Stephens; Nguyen, and Jameson Wong, Director, Business Development, ForwardKeys. After the presentations, Ali moderated a quick session with all the speakers, highlighting some of the challenges and opportunities for the travel and tourism industry in the current state of the world.

Other highlights of the four-day event included the PATA Awards Presentation, the election of the new PATA Executive Board, the Signing Ceremony of the Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics by Triip.me, the signing ceremony with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) for PATA Annual Summit 2018, and the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Mei Shan Municipality Tourism to strengthen the strategic cooperation between both organisations.Delegates were also shown a video produced in partnership with GLP Films that highlighted PATA’s advocacy themes.

SriLankan Airlines was the PAS 2016 Official Airline. The events took place at the Jetwing Blue Hotel.

The PATA Annual Summit 2018 will take place in Gangneung, the Republic of Korea. For more information, email [email protected].

-Pix by Upul Abayasekara